In only its second year of existence, Project Homepage teams took home an impressive four out of eleven awards at the recent Internet Science and Technology Fair.
Project Homepage,
a new online education program of the non-profit Electronic Industries Foundation
(EIF), focuses on helping students develop science and technology skills for
future employment. The program operates by pairing 'technical advisors' from
electronics companies (e.g. engineers, chemists, scientists, etc.) with teams
of middle and high school students, to conduct collaborative research projects
over the Internet. Each team is tasked with solving a real world problem using
technology that relates to their technical advisors' company. Students communicate
with their advisor, via the Internet, to conceptualize and develop solutions.
Project Homepage teams create websites to share their results, which are then
entered into the Internet Science and Technology Fair (ISTF), an international
competition sponsored by EIF's program partner, the University of Central
Florida College of Engineering & Computer Science, in collaboration with
the U.S. Department of Commerce National Medal of Technology Program.
Of the eleven ISTF awards announced last week, four were Project Homepage teams. One of the teams, students from Governor Livingston High School (Berkeley Heights, NJ), attended last week's spring conference of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) and made a presentation to industry guests at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The seven students, accompanied by their teacher, principal, and corporate partner from Lucent Technologies, shared their website called, "The Guardian Angel Project", which outlined an early warning system that uses real-time communication devices and satellite tracking systems to monitor the radiation levels of nuclear waste during transport.
"Project Homepage gave my students an opportunity to work with a scientist on a real world problem…this was a learning experience that I couldn't provide," teacher Dr. Jennifer Martino explained to attendees, "…thank you for helping to make this program possible."
Linda Jones, a representative from Lucent Technologies said, "I am pleased to be a part of EIF's Project Homepage…this project certainly helps to prepare young people to meet the challenges of science, math and technology." Lucent Technologies was awarded the EIF Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award for their support of Project Homepage.
After listening to the Governor Livingston students explain their project, Robert Borchardt, Chairman, CEO and President of Recoton Corporation rallied fellow industry guests to join his company in supporting the growth of the young program. The challenge resulted in matching donations pledged by such companies as Mitek Corporation, Vishay Intertechnology, Yageo America, Audiovox, Ceridian Corporation and Monster Cable, among others. In the end, 32 companies pledged to support the program amounting to $150,000 in new funding to support future Project Homepage teams.
"Tonight's overwhelming support of Project Homepage shows we are on the right track," said EIF President Kathy Warye. "Project Homepage was designed to bring the expertise and innovation of the electronics industries into the classroom to benefit student learning, and we are succeeding without a doubt. Tonight's contributors to Project Homepage recognize the long-term value of partnering with the educational community. We are most grateful to all of the companies and volunteers who are helping us expand the reach of this promising young program."
Engineers, scientists, and other technical professionals interested in serving as advisors to Project Homepage teams this fall are encouraged to contact EIF at (703)907-7400 or email gridgely@eia.org.
About the Electronic Industries Foundation
The Electronic Industries Foundation, is the 501(c)(3) philanthropic sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) - five allied organizations comprised of over 2,100 U.S. electronics companies. EIF was established in 1975 in the belief that the philanthropic and educational programs of Alliance members, while valuable to individual companies and their communities, would be much stronger if complemented by an industries-wide program with a common mission. Today, that common mission is to advance math and science education for a competent workforce. For more information visit EIF at www.eiafoundation.org.
Project Homepage
is a program of the Electronic Industries Foundation and serves as the electronics
industry-sponsored component of the Internet Science and Technology Fair (ISTF)
- an international online competition of the University of Central Florida
College of Engineering & Computer Science. Project Homepage is made possible
through the participation and financial support of the following sponsors:
ADC, Armand Products Corporation, Audiovox Corporation, Audiovox Electronics,
Casio, Inc., CCM Cellular Connection of Miami, Inc., Centech Communications,
Ceridian Corporation, Chemical Products Corporation, Congressman Darrell Issa
(R-CA-48), Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Cornell Dubilier Electronics,
Corning Asahi Video Products Company, DesignTech International, Directed Electronics,
Inc., Electronic Components, Assemblies and Materials Assn. (ECA), Electronic
Industries Alliance (EIA), Electronic Representatives Assn. (ERA), Government
Electronics and Information Technology Assn. (GEIA), Harris Corporation, ICC,
JEDEC Solid State Assn. (JEDEC), KEMET Electronics Corporation, Leviton Manufacturing,
Littelfuse, Inc., Lucent Technologies, Mitek Corporation, Monster Cable Products,
Inc., Motorola, Inc., Murata Electronics N.A., Inc., North American Capacitor
Company / Mallory, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company / Matsushita Elec.
Corp. of Am., Parasound Products, Inc., Philips Electronics North America
Corp., Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., Pitney Bowes, Inc., Recoton Corporation,
Runco International, Sharp Electronics Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.,
Tech Spray, Inc. / STRATUS, Techneglas, Inc., Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA), Thiel Audio Products Company, TRW Inc., TWICE Magazine,
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., Yageo America, Yamaha Corporation of America.
Four teams take home awards from Internet Science and Technology Fair
The Web Watcher - (Glen Forest Secondary School, Ontario Canada; Corporate Partner: ADC - The Broadband Company) This team developed a home-based security system that integrates digital and wireless technology with the Internet to allow users to access their home monitoring system via a cell phone. Winner: Meritorious Achievement
SEMCoach - (Colaiste na Coiribe, Galway, Ireland; Corporate Partner: ADC - The Broadband Company) This project investigated how broadband technology can be incorporated into a device to provide information to athletic team coaches and medical personnel on game statistics and injury analysis, amongst other things. Winner: Honorable Mention
The Guardian Angel Project - (Governor Livingston High School, Berkeley Heights, NJ; Corporate Partner: Lucent Technologies / Agere) This project outlined an early warning system that uses real-time communication devices and satellite tracking systems to monitor the radiation levels of nuclear waste during transport. Winner: Honorable Mention
Noise No More - (Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ; Corporate Partner: TRW, Inc.) This project focused on creating an efficient and economical device that will decrease the amount of sound that aircraft create. Winner: Honorable Mention
